Sequoia

Last weekend I went camping with Kate, Elliot, Spencer and Walt in Sequoia National Park.I hadn't been camping in years (living in a tent at Harmony Homestead doesn't really count), and it was so lovely to wake up to the sounds of birdsong and rushing water. (Our campsite was right on the river.) I also used a sleeping pad for the first time, which allows you a downright comfortable night's sleep. Revelation!The sequoias, some of which are older than Jesus, make you feel insignificant in the very best way (if that makes sense). Walking around them, and through and over the fallen ones, was something of a spiritual experience. They're resistant to decay, so even when a tree falls (because its roots can no longer support it), it sticks around for hundreds of years.We also walked through the "Fallen Monarch," which fell over 300 years ago, and was used as a stable by the U.S. cavalry--and even as a saloon!This crunchy moss fascinated me. I kept wanting to touch it on every tree we passed.Grizzly Falls. (Do you see me?)Kings Canyon, Cedar Grove lookout.(Sequoia, part 2.)